


what friends are for

by cutepoison



Category: Friends (TV)
Genre: Experimentation, First Kiss, M/M, in which Chandler's trying to figure out his sexuality and Joey's a good friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 06:21:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11845746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutepoison/pseuds/cutepoison
Summary: “How long have you been--”Chandler turned around fast and put a hand up. “Joey. Stop.”“Look, I just want you to know--”“I don’t want to have this conversation!”“I think we need to have this conversation!”





	what friends are for

**Author's Note:**

  * For [murdergatsby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/murdergatsby/gifts).



> Made a post on twitter about how unfair it was that Chandler and Joey never got to share at least one kiss on the show. Charlie encouraged me, so I figured I'd (stoned-edly?) write a fic. It turned out way more than I bargained for. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> P.S. this is un-beta'd. Sorry for any mistakes!

At first Joey thought it was some sort of prank.

Chandler was unhealthily anal about deleting his browsing history from their shared laptop, whereas Joey didn’t really care if people found out about all of the depraved things he looked at on the internet. So, when Joey opened the computer to find a couple of tabs with the titles _Am I bisexual?_ and _Will my friends disown me?_ he was incredibly surprised and incredibly confused.

Joey sat there for a couple of minutes, reading through a few lines on each of the pages before sitting back and squinting his eyes, trying to make sense of what it all meant.

Surely Chandler had to be taking the micky out on him. Three years of sharing a place and Chandler never once left his browsing history open for all to see, let alone _opened tabs_ …

Chandler walked through the front door and snapped Joey out of his reverie by muttering, “Heya, Joe.”

Joey quickly closed the tabs and slammed the laptop shut, standing up and looking as if _he’d_ just been the one looking up articles about bisexuality and liking guys as well as girls.

“Uh, hey. Where’ve you been?”

Chandler lifted his brows and set down a few bags of groceries on the counter, glancing back and forth between them and Joey.

“Oh, you know. Just out walking our nonexistent dog.”

Joey mock laughed and scratched the back of his head. He was quiet for a long while, simply watching as Chandler put away the cases of beer in the fridge, the chips in the cupboard, the frozen dinners in the freezer. He wasn’t exactly sure how to bring up the bisexual thing, but this was _Chandler_. His best friend. His best Chandler. They talked about anything and everything. Surely they could talk about this.

“So, uh. Were you on the laptop earlier?”

Chandler grabbed two of the already-cold beers from the fridge and took one over to Joey, and then he fell back into his la-z-boy chair and nodded. “Yeah, last night. Why? Another virus?” His heart skipped a beat faster, remembering what he’d been looking up.

Joey popped open the lid of his beer and took a long swig. “No, no. No virus. There was just… stuff still open on it. I thought you didn’t do that. Like. Ever.”

Oh god. Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god. How could he have… Shit. He shouldn’t have had that last glass of whiskey. Chandler became forgetful when he drank the hard stuff. Hell, he had forgotten which of Joey’s sisters he’d kissed after downing a platter full of vodka jello shots. He was so stupid.

_Deep breath, Bing. The ball’s in your court._

“Haha, listen. The foursome stuff came up as ‘Related Videos’ when I was watching the threesome stuff. That’s the kinkiest I get, so don’t think you’ll find anything spicier than that in the history, Joe.”

Chandler got up and walked to the kitchen, not really sure what to do with himself while Joey stood there looking at him like he _knew_ he was lying. Fuck. Chandler drained his beer in one long swallow.

Joey tilted his head to the side, a look of _C’mon, man. It’s me._ reaching his eyes. “Chandler. You know you can tell me anything, right? Even if, y’know, you don’t think you can?”

“Jesus,” Chandler breathed, mostly to himself as he turned his back to Joey and leaned against the counter. He hung his head, rubbing his brows with his thumb and forefinger. He wasn’t ready for this. At all. Whatsoever. He hadn’t even finished reading all of those articles. _Jesus_.

Joey, although not being one to pick up on things right away, knew this was bothering Chandler. It wasn’t a joke, after all. This was real, and Chandler was the one who had looked up all of those things on the internet. Chandler was bisexual, or at least he _suspected_ he was.

“How long have you been--”

Chandler turned around fast and put a hand up. “Joey. Stop.”

“Look, I just want you to know--”

“I don’t want to have this conversation!”

“I think we _need_ to have this conversation!”

Chandler rounded the counter and stepped in front of Joey, hands thrown up in the air. “Why? Why, so you can go out and tell everybody that I’m half fag? Huh?”

Joey felt hurt. He _sounded_ hurt as he asked, “You think I’d do that if you weren’t comfortable with it? Telling people about this?”

_Damn Joey and his goddamn puppy dog eyes and his stupid hurt voice with that stupid Italian accent._

Chandler’s shoulders sagged and he shook his head, heart still beating like a hummingbird trapped in his chest. “No. No, I just… I don’t know what I’m feeling and I’m trying to figure it out before I make a big deal out of it.”

Joey stepped over to the other man and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently, and he offered a little smile. “Dude, it’s me. We tell each other everything. If you’re bisexual or gay or _whatever_ , you’re still gonna be my best friend. Nothing’s gonna change that.”

A weight that Chandler didn’t know had been pressing on his chest eased, and he felt like he could breathe easier after hearing Joey say all of that. The hand on his shoulder felt like warmth and comfort, and Chandler subconsciously leaned into it.

“Thanks, man. I-- Thanks.”

“Yeah, of course,” Joey let out a lighthearted chuckle and started towards the fridge for a couple more beers. “So, what’s your type, huh? If you have one? Oh god,” he looked at Chandler with wide eyes. “Please tell me there’s no guy version of Janice. That’s the line I’m gonna draw.”

Chandler couldn’t help but laugh as he took the offered beer. “No. Nobody like Janice. Uh, nobody really. Not yet.”

“You’re serious? Well, how’re you gonna experiment or whatever if you don’t have a type?”

“Well, I think that’s kind of the point of experimenting, Joe. Just haven’t found someone I, uh, trust enough that’s willing to…” he trailed off with a wave of his hand.

Joey frowned, but then an idea crossed his mind. His frown disappeared and it was replaced with a smirk, eyes crinkling at the sides as he flashed his teeth. His lips pursed, and his chin bobbed once, and then came a smooth and familiar, “How you doin’?”

Chandler felt like he was in some sort of bizzaro dream. He busted out laughing, doubling over and pressing his free hand to his gut that was cramping from laughter. He set his beer down and pointed to Joey, tears starting to collect in his eyes. “Good one.”

Joey frowned again. “Hey, I’m serious!”

Loosening his tie, Chandler continued laughing and made to step pass Joey to get to his bedroom so he could change out of his work clothes. “Right.”

Joey caught Chandler by the arm, and he swiftly pulled his friend back towards him. They were close now, facing each other, and Joey’s grip moved to Chandler’s wrist. The tough became more tender, and Joey rubbed the exposed skin right above his watch.

“I’m serious,” he repeated, and now his voice was quieter. Joey’s gaze flicked down to Chandler’s lips, and honestly? This wouldn’t be just a favor. Joey was a guy who liked pleasure, never once denied himself the indulgence; whether it be food, sex, or both at the same time. As far as he was concerned, pleasure was a human right. Sex and gender didn’t matter, and Chandler was a good looking guy. Not to mention Chandler was his best friend. He didn’t see an issue.

Chandler, completely taken off guard, swallowed nervously and watched as Joey watched him. The room had become stifling again, and the weight that had been lifted from his chest earlier was back with a vengeance. He palms were sweaty, and the gentle finger teasing at his wrist felt like fire. His eyes zeroed in on Joey’s mouth, and… Yeah. Yeah, it looked good.

 _Fuck me_.

“Joe, this is--”

“Good?” he asked, smirking. Joey could feel Chandler’s hot breath against his cheek, could see his chest rising and falling heavily, and the fingers that were wrapped around Chandler’s wrist moved to the man’s tie. Joey smoothed it out, other hand going to Chandler’s waist.

Chandler nodded dumbly. He licked over his lips, waiting. After so long of denying himself, he couldn’t find it in himself to just _take_.

Luckily for him, this was what Joey was good at. He could read people easily like this, up close and personal, and so he curled his fingers around Chandler’s tie and tugged him down gently, their lips hovering for the briefest of moments, Joey giving Chandler the option to pull away if he wanted, and when he didn’t, Joey pressed their mouths together in a firm, yet chaste kiss.

Chandler’s stomach did a funny tumbling thing and he fell into the kiss like a starving man, though he tried to keep it light and gentle. It was so good, _so_ good, and Joey wasn’t pulling away. He wasn’t pulling away and yelling _Psych!_ and he wasn’t making fun of Chandler and he wasn’t going to tell the others unless Chandler gave him explicit permission and Chandler was so overwhelmed.

It felt like his knees were going to buckle out from underneath him, and Joey quickly moved the both of them to the sofa before that could happen. He fell back first, and then he pulled Chandler on top of him so the man was straddling his lap.

Chandler gripped at Joey’s shoulders but as the kiss progressed, became comfortable enough to run his fingers through Joey’s hair.

It was only when they both needed air did they part, and even then Chandler stayed close, both feeling embarrassed by his wantonness and exhilarated by the fact Joey had just kissed the hell out of him.

“Good?” Joey asked again, voice gruffer, and he ran his hands up Chandler’s thighs to rest at his hips. He got the answer he wanted when he felt Chandler shiver, but he also wanted to hear his friend say it out loud.

Chandler, red faced and panting, nodded. “Y-Yeah, good. Really good.”

Joey grinned. “No sarcastic comment? Must’ve been some kiss for you.”

Chandler wanted to smack the smugness right off of his face.

“Says the guy with his hands on my ass.”

Joey quirked a brow, not even realizing where his hands had wandered. He wasn’t bothered by it at all. In fact, he gripped Chandler’s backside harder and laughed when he heard his friend gasp.

“I think this experiment was successful, don’t you?” Joey asked, and the words were so oddly intelligent he surprised even himself. Not that he was wrong.

Chandler rolled his eyes and pushed forward, rocking their hips together, testing the waters. He was met with a quiet groan from Joey.

“I dunno, Joe. I’m still feeling a smidge too heterosexual. Think you can fix that?”

“Oh, you bet your sweet ass.”


End file.
